CS:GO Viewership Threads

All edits were made to ensure accuracy of data and comparison.

First, Don't get me wrong - I am not hating on CS, at all. CS is a fun, tactical shooter game, I play it myself with friends. I have simplyseen too many threads saying that VALORANT viewership is very low compared to CS:GO.

Number one, Please acknowledge something. VALORANT is a 2 year old game. CS-GO is shaping up to be 10 years old. We will obviously be seeing some disparity with fanbase, simply because VALORANT is much younger!

Now take a look at this graph on Reddit.
We can see some similar figures in the first year - around 500k in the first international event, and in the year after, we see similar figures.
Now, have some data from ESCharts.
(No data for Masters 1 2021 - held regionally)
Reykjavik Masters Stage 2 2021: 1,085,850 Peak Viewers
Berlin Masters Stage 3 2021: 811,370 Peak Viewers
Berlin Champions 2021: 1,089,068 Peak Viewers
Reykjavik Masters Stage 1 2022: 1,065,887 Peak Viewers

This, compared to CS's early LAN viewership, is nearly identical. There is no reason to hate!

PGL Stockholm had a peak of 2,748,434. That is a long way for VALORANT to go, I can agree with that. But I can see VALORANT growing to this level in 10 years with the right management.

Another note. There are not that many international LANS, because Riot has been the only one holding them. In CS, we see many different LAN organizers, so more chances for higher viewership. In time, I believe we will see new organizers of VALORANT events, and that will boost viewership.

TL:DR: VALORANT is keeping up in viewership when compared to CS:GO's early years, and there is data to back it.

Stay frosty.

it's crazy that berlin masters 3 2021 had the lowest viewship because I think it had the greatest games and storylines

cmon now how are you comparing master and champion to ESL 💀

https://escharts.com/tournaments/csgo/pgl-major-stockholm-2021
https://escharts.com/tournaments/csgo/pgl-major-antwerp-2022

Geometrix w😎. In my opnion, it's time to Riot (valorant riot) put the level of the organization of their tournaments in another levels, just like in LOL. However, i don't think they should copy the way of how Lol's tournaments are make, and even how CS tournaments are make too. I think they should make a mix of both and add their own way of helding tournaments. I mean, Valorant has the potential to be far better than both games, but Rito (at least in these first two years), they are much less daring, and far below, in organizing championships as we are used to in LOL. And I speak both on a technical level (presentation, internship, promotional videos and etc), as well as on a professional level (rules, regulations, punishments, level of equipment players use and everything else). Because all the time there are technical problems in matches, and it kind of kills the hype and climax of the match for viewers. If they continue not to exceed the expectations of the public, the game will eventually die (if they continue that way), however this new franchise system seems to me a bit promising. Let's see how Riot behaves going forward.

Obs: Maybe there lots of mistakes in my English :(

Katowice and cologne are not majors
The majors got 2m+ viewers
Valorant is 2 years old game but it didnt came from 0
Most valo players and viewers are or where cs players and cs viewers plus new ones
And to ve honest cs having a lot of lans is more and issue than a plus, having all these lans get boring
Sure some events get the hype but see the same teams every weekend is not helping cs at getting viewers lol

here we go again another kid comparing csgo with lulovant :D

"New organizers" like riot will allow that

CrossFire biggest fps in the world doing millions of views... Game has a big pro league and even has ventured into a TV Drama series and a Theme Park?!? But guess what... No one knows or cares about it outside of China.

This is what's going on in CSGO... The international events will look more and more European as time goes on but!!! Big views from the major region. I think Riot curating every region is wonderful and in due time the viewership will match that of CSGO.

Kinda unfair the comparison still. ESL Events are not promoted by Valve, nor do they have the prestige a major has. IEM cologne broke the record for non major events wirh 1.25 million viewers. The last 2 majors on the other hand had both over 2 million views. Even then, remember that CS has far more events, which means a single event has less value then an international event in Val. Also Val just has a publisher that uses the esports aspect as their main marketing factor while CS isnt marketed at all.

Cs is from the community for the community, that is what makes it special

These stats don't matter at all esports was nowhere near as big as it is right now, Valorant already had it's peak and with franchising and the game being less and less beginner friendly, I doubt it's going to surpass it

EDIT: Wrong reply... Good take lol

why are you comparing masters to non-major cs events

what is flawed with your logic is that cs has had a huge increase in playerbase and viewership these last 2 years, valorant will need to grow more than this current cs level

CSGO early years is not comparable because esports wasnt as big then

well you are right about it being a new game BUT

Riot have been running events longer than GO has been out, idk why but Valorant production is terrible, from the walkouts to the setups to the studio, music and graphics, don’t get me started on the observers and Casters…

ok and?